Carricante

On Mount Etna, the morning light first strikes the eastern flank, and in Milo the vines grow directly towards it. The name "Erse" is reminiscent of the Greek goddess of dew; the estate associates it with the sunrise. Silvia Maestrelli, who sadly passed away far too young, founded Tenuta di Fessina in 2007 in northern Rovittello, yet this white wine comes from the east. On Mount Etna, "Superiore" is not a stage of maturation, but a designation of origin: The appellation reserves this designation for white wines made from grapes grown in the small municipality of Milo, with at least 80% Carricante. Old vines grow there on sandy lava soil mixed with pumice and ash. Fermentation takes place under temperature control in stainless-steel tanks, after which the wine is left to rest in the bottle.

Here is one of the finest expressions of the white Carricante grape variety, aged on its fine lees for six months. Alta Mora Bianco comes from vineyards on the northern slopes of Mount Etna, where Carricante vines thrive at altitudes of 600 to 900 metres – directly on volcanic rock rich in minerals and ash. The cool, high altitude, combined with intense sunshine and significant day-night temperature variations, imbues this wine with an unmistakable freshness, structure and a briny edge. The wine is aged exclusively in stainless steel to ensure that the purity of the grape variety and the terroir is conveyed unadulterated in the glass.

100% Carricante from one of the youngest and, at the same time, most promising cru vineyards on the northern slopes of Mount Etna: Contrada Taccione lies at an altitude of around 700 metres in Castiglione di Sicilia, characterised by volcanic sand, basalt rock and ash dating back thousands of years. It is a landscape in constant flux, shaped by lava, wind and time. It is precisely this interplay between barrenness and energy that Planeta translates here into a wine that seems tailor-made for subtlety.

Anyone starting out anew on Mount Etna doesn't start small. In 2016, Davide Rosso acquired fourteen hectares in Solicchiata, at the foot of the extinct Montedolce crater on the north-eastern slope of the volcano – at an altitude of 730 to 750 metres, in a microclimate that immediately brought to mind the Langhe precision he grew up with: cool nights, wide temperature variations, mineral-rich lava sand soils, and constant ventilation. "Contrade Nuove" – the new vineyards – refers to the estate's younger Carricante vines, trained using the Alberello method and facing north-north-east. They offer a different character to the old vines of the main cuvée: livelier, more direct, with a freshness and approachability that make the Montedolce terroir immediately apparent. 100% Carricante. Spontaneous fermentation at low temperatures in stainless steel, lasting 15 to 20 days. This is followed by five months sur lie with weekly bâtonnage – no wood, no intervention, just the volcano with its soil and climate.

This single-varietal Carricante from Tenuta Tascante comes from the districts of Feudo in Castiglione di Sicilia and Salice in Milo. The vineyards grow at an altitude of 600 metres on the north side of Mount Etna on volcanic sedimentary soils from different eras. The majority of the grapes grow on a terrace in Contrada Sciaranuova. Vinified in cool stainless steel, this white wine retains the mineral clarity and sulphurous notes of the indigenous grape variety. Linear and vertical, it presents itself with the characteristic acidity of Carricante, showing volcanic vigour in elegant purity. An authentic Etna character with four months of ageing on the lees that brings the aura of the volcano directly into the glass. SUPERIORE.DE

Carricante from Planeta's Etna vineyard is an exceptional wine full of freshness, energy and minerality. This noble grape variety thrives in exclusive conditions, on volcanic soils and at altitudes of 870 metres. A wonderfully complex pleasure that is only ever released for sale two years after the harvest. The eruption of 1614 is legendary in the history of Etna, as it lasted ten years, making it the longest recorded eruption of the active volcano to date. A very impressive and fitting name for Planeta's Etna series of equally impressive wines. SUPERIORE.DE

This single-varietal Carricante comes from Tenuta Tascante, from the Contrade Feudo in Castiglione di Sicilia and Salice in Milo. The vineyards thrive at an altitude of 600 metres on the northern slopes of Mount Etna, on volcanic sedimentary soils dating from various geological periods. The majority of the grapes are grown on a terrace in the Contrada Sciaranuova. Vinified in cool stainless steel, this white wine retains the mineral clarity and sulphurous notes of the indigenous grape variety. Linear and vertical in character, it displays the characteristic acidity of Carricante, which reveals volcanic vigour with elegant purity. An authentic Etna character, aged on the lees for four months, which brings the aura of the volcano straight into the glass. SUPERIORE.DE

Alberto Graci worked as an investment banker in Milan until the death of his grandfather – who made his own wine in central Sicily – led him back to the island in 2004. His first vineyard was on the northern slope of Mount Etna, in Passopisciaro, where he subsequently devoted himself exclusively to the volcano's indigenous grape varieties. The grapes for his Etna Bianco grow at 600 metres above sea level, on dark brown, volcanic soil that is well-drained and rich in iron. Carricante and Catarratto are gently pressed and fermented in concrete tanks without contact with the skins, then aged for eight months on the fine lees, entirely without oak. The yield is deliberately kept low at around 40 hectolitres per hectare.

In the early 2000s, Marco de Grazia, an American wine merchant with Tuscan roots, began systematically buying land on Mount Etna. Not because the volcano was the talk of the town at the time – it wasn't. But because de Grazia, who had been importing Sicilian wines into the US since the 1990s, recognised something that many locals had not yet seen: that these soils, these Alberello vines, these altitudes between 600 and 900 metres possessed something that could not be found anywhere else on the island.

The Sul Vulcano range marked the start of Donnafugata's impressive declaration of love for Etna, currently the hottest wine destination. Carricante is one of southern Italy's most exciting grape varieties, capable of developing complexity and terroir-driven character when grown on the right soils. The vines for Donnafugata's only white wine from Etna grow on mineral-rich volcanic soils at an altitude of 700–750 metres. The wine is fermented in stainless steel tanks before ageing for 10 months – partly in concrete tanks and partly in second- and third-use barriques – followed by a further nine months in the bottle.

Cottanera's Etna Bianco draws its expressiveness and a certain depth from Carricante grapes, which thrive at an altitude of around 750 metres in the barren, dark volcanic soils on the north side of the volcano. The interplay of high altitude, cool climate and mineral subsoil characterises the tension and freshness of this charismatic white wine. Straw yellow in colour with a silvery sheen. White flowers meet yellow citrus fruits, crisp pears and a hint of wet stone on the nose. Clear and straightforward on the palate with lively acidity, a fine texture and salty minerality that reflects the Etna terroir. A refreshingly purist Etna Bianco that harmoniously combines finesse and depth – ideal with oysters, ceviche or simply as a meditative soloist. SUPERIORE.DE

An island within an island. That is how Giuseppe Benanti described Mount Etna, that world unto itself which he pioneered in 1988 as a trailblazer in modern Etna wines. Today, his sons Antonio and Salvino carry on his legacy: they are the only winery with vineyards on all four slopes of the volcano. The Etna Bianco is made from 100% Carricante from the eastern and southern slopes, where altitudes of between 700 and 950 metres, volcanic sandy soils and marked day-night temperature variations create ideal conditions. The vines, aged between 20 and 60 years, are trained partly using the traditional Alberello method and partly on trellises. Hand-harvested in mid-October, gently pressed, then fermented for twelve days at 18 °C in stainless steel using the estate's own Carricante yeast, selected from Etna vineyards. The wine is then aged on the fine lees and undergoes a short period of bottle ageing.

Solicchiata lies on the northern slope of Mount Etna, where the volcano still bestows everything upon its soils – minerality, warmth, vitality – without imposing the intense ripeness of the southern flank. The Faro family founded Pietradolce here in 2005, on 35 hectares at altitudes between 600 and 900 metres. Their philosophy: exclusively indigenous grape varieties, separate vinification of individual plots, and as little intervention as possible. The Etna Bianco is the gateway to this world – and at the same time an unmistakable statement of intent. 100% Carricante, Alberello, 800 metres above sea level. Sandy, volcanic soils, rich in minerals. Hand-harvested in the second half of October, when the long, cool nights on the north-facing slope have given the acidity its final polish. Gentle pressing, aged exclusively in steel.

A sparkling wine from the volcano – made from 100% Carricante and produced using the traditional bottle fermentation method, this Metodo Classico is an expression of the cool elegance of Etna. The grapes come from high-altitude, mineral-rich vineyards on the northern slopes of the volcano. After gentle pressing and vinification in stainless steel, the base wine matures on the lees for around 20 months before disgorgement. Pale straw yellow in the glass with a fine, continuous perlage. The bouquet is fragrant and precise, with notes of lime, white peach, brioche, crushed rock and a hint of aniseed. Clear, taut and cool on the palate, with lively acidity, a creamy texture and a fine, salty-mineral length that emphasises its volcanic origins. An enthralling spumante with character, far removed from broadness or trendy sweetness – ideal as an aperitif, with oysters, raw fish or fine Mediterranean cuisine. This Carricante proves that sparkling wine from the slopes of Mount Etna is not only possible, but fascinating. SUPERIORE.DE

On the northern slope of Mount Etna, black is not a mood but the finest "building material": the terraces of the Contrada Santo Spirito near Passopisciaro are laid out in layers of lava stone, at an altitude of 700 metres. Animaetnea is the Etna project run by Antonio Moretti, who also manages the Tuscan estate Tenuta Sette Ponti, and the project's guiding principle is: a wine does not have to be perfect; it must be authentic. The lava soil, altitude and wind have largely kept phylloxera and mildew at bay here; as a result, almost all the vines are grown on their own roots, trained as bush vines. The wine's name evokes the glow of a flowing lava flow. Carricante, blended with Minnella, is fermented at a controlled temperature and aged for only a short time, followed by a few months' bottle ageing.

The four wines resulting from the collaboration between Dolce & Gabbana and Donnafugata show attention to detail and unconditional love for Sicily. They are the perfect expression of two top companies "Made in Italy". They represent the aesthetic fusion of craftsmanship, creativity and Sicilian passion. Together, they have created a unique collection of wines and packaging that emotionally capture Sicilian culture and lifestyle and express a clear commitment to the beauty and tradition of Sicily.

Calderara is a wine with 100% volcanic DNA. Born on one of the most prestigious single vineyards (Contrada) of northern Etna. The site is located at an altitude of around 750 metres near Randazzo, where barren, dark soils of lava rock and basalt are weathered and large porous stones flank the rows of vines. The name is derived from "caldera" – a heat-accumulating rock structure that stores heat during the day and releases it again at night. It is this interplay of volcanic power and cool mountain climate that gives Calderara its incredible precision and depth.

High up on the southern slopes of Mount Etna, where the Contrada Manzuedda in Biancavilla rises towards the sky at an altitude of 900 metres, lies an extraordinary vineyard, as old as the dreams that gave rise to it. Here, between the eternal snow of the peaks and the flames of the volcano, where the first Carricante vines took root in the volcanic soil in 1950, A' Puddara, "the hen", is born. This is what the Sicilians call the Pleiades in their dialect – those seven sisters in the night sky who, in summer, shine from the sea above the volcanic peak. Silvia Maestrelli, Fessina's visionary pioneer who sadly passed away far too soon, dedicated this wine to the starry skies of her Sicilian nights – a fitting tribute to this island of dreams and fire.

Above the cellar walls of Passopisciaro lives a woman whose stories are older than the centuries-old vines she can see from her window every day. Nerina Russo, mother of Giuseppe and widow of the late Girolamo, is more than just the namesake of this extraordinary white wine – she is the living heart of a family that has given Etna all its devotion. At harvest time, when their famous dishes mingle the flavours of the kitchen with those of the fermenting grapes, it becomes clear that wines are made here out of love, not just passion. Giuseppe has created a monument to his father with the winery, but has dedicated the wine that perhaps best expresses the essence of his family to his mother. Nerina embodies the soul of the Sicilian white wine tradition – a harmonious union of all the autochthonous grape varieties of Etna, which once thrived together in the mixed vineyards of the Contrade. Seventy per cent Carricante forms the backbone, while thirty per cent Catarratto, Inzolia, Grecanico, Minnella and Coda di Volpe provide the multi-layered complexity that can only come from centuries-old winemaking wisdom.

The area around the small town of Milo is the only vineyard site on Mount Etna where an "Etna Bianco Superiore" is permitted to be bottled – and for good reason: on this steep vineyard, which consists of dozens of small terraces, only Carricante may be planted. The vines are trained like little saplings on chestnut wood stakes. The east-facing aspect and the proximity of the sea allow the grapes to ripen late, resulting in very consistent acidity levels and, ultimately, a white wine of aromatic finesse and freshness that is unrivalled even on Mount Etna. More floral and citrusy on the nose than the standard Carricante, the Superiore also exhibits slightly more body, acidity, depth and finesse. Its elegant acidity makes it vibrantly fresh and long on the palate, ensuring an exciting drinking experience and excellent ageing potential. SUPERIORE.DE

Marco de Grazia has been firmly established on the northern slope of Mount Etna for decades. But he did not stop there: over many years, he also explored the volcano's other slopes, bought grapes, produced wine for colleagues, measured altitudes, studied geological features and examined historical boundaries. At extreme altitudes on the southern flank, he was convinced he had found an area where Carricante thrives exceptionally well. For six years, he experimentally vinified grapes from there, convinced of their exceptional elegance, before he was fortunate enough to be offered a tiny, very old vineyard – precisely the one from which his favourite white grapes came. The constant fresh winds at 950 metres perfectly balance out the full south-facing aspect, says de Grazia himself. The first vintage was 2019, a gem, as he calls it.